Pressure draft gear



. H. J. SCHAEFER PREsURE DRAFT GEAR NNN 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec.. 1.19:20`

. H. J. SCHAEFER Feb. 5 9

i PRESSURE DRAFT GEAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed l Feb. 5 1924.

H. J. SCHAEFER PRESSURE DRAFT GEAR Filed Dec. 1 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

- HENRY J'. SCHAEFR, 0F ASHTABU'LA, OHIO.

PRESSURE DRAFT GEAR.

Application :tiled December l, 1920. `Serial No. 427,529.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. SCHAEFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ashtabula, in the 'county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Pressure DraftGear, of"which the following is a specification. s

This invention relates to compression draft gear for railroad cars.

The 4object of the invention is to provide a mechanism whereby the pullof a railroad car 'is proportionately distributed throughout the car andthe entire pull being borne by the draw bar prevented.

Another object is to provide a simply con- ,structed and efficientmechanism of this character which may be made to fit any sized car. 4

1With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described. andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

1n the accompanying drawings:

Figure y1 represents a top plan view partly "in section of the apparatusshown applied;'

Fig; 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail side elevation of one of the'frictionplates employed in the apparatus; 1

n Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, showing the connection of draft barwith the gear;

Fig. is aside elevation of one of theV compression plates taken from theoutside; Fig. 6 is a side. elevation of one of draft kevS; J

ig. 7. isa similar view of one ofthe spacers;

Fig. 8 is a detail end elevation showing the draft bar supportinghanger;

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8. v

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section of the center block, taken yon the line10-10 of Fig. 11; andv able steel and provided at its opposite ends'with coupler butt Shanks 2 for connection Fig. 11 is a side elevation ofsaid block.

lhe gear constituting'this invention comprises a center block- 1constructed of mallewith draw bars D. This block 1 has ra centrallydisposed oblong aperture 4 extending therethrough the end walls of which'pir converge toward the middle of the block meeting at a point aboutmidway the thickness thereof (see, Fig. 10). This block 1 also isprovided with a plurality of apertures 3 one arranged at each cornerthereof and adapted to receive draw pins 19 which are preferablyconstructed of forged steel. The oblong opening 4 in the block 1 has theends 6 thereof rounded (see Fig. 11) to prevent shearing of the draftcompression rods 2O which are designed to be mounted therein andwhichwill be hereinafter more fully described. V n k 'lwo forged steeldraft plates 7 are designed toifit between the center block 1 and thesteel underframe 'F of the car. These plates are each provided with fourdraw pin apertures 8 and with a centrally disposed oblong opening 9which is beveled at each end and at each side to prevent shearing of thecompression rods 20 since these plates are designed to be reversible. Adraft :key opening 10 is located at each end of the plate 7 in whichopenings draft keys 26 arc f designed to be mounted. These keys'26 arepreferably constructed of forged steel plates and are designed to passthrough compression plates 11 one arranged outside each of the .framemembers F and riveted thereto.

and through the car underframe F, the

ture 29. Two malleable iron spacing plates as 30 fit on thenotched. endsof the draft keys 26 and each is provided with a projection 32 to lit inthe notchv 28 of its respective draft key 26, Cotter pins beingpreferably passed through the draft key opening 29 to hold the partsassembled.

The two malleable steel compression plates 11 which are mounted outsidethe angle ironframe members F on the compression rods 20 are providedeach with two spring seats 12 which are inclined in opposite directionspreferably at a pitch of about'80 degrees and each has a Bange 13arranged thereon to prevent the spring seated thereon fromsliplaterally. These seats 12 each has an obhquely disposed aperture 14extending therethrough throughwhich the rods 20 are designed to pass,said rods extending at opposite ends beyond the seats and having mountedthereon coiled compression spring; 24 held in position by nuts 22provided at their inner ends with integral washers 22. said nutsbeingscrewed on the outer ends ot' the rods 20' which are threaded for thispurpose, the nuts having cotter pin apertures 23 therein .for lockingthem to the rods.

The plates 11 are each provided at opposite ends with longitudinallyextending elongated openings 15 through which the draft keys 26 passwhich openings are surrounded on the outer faces of the plates byflanges 15. These plates 11 are secured to the car underfranie F by apluralityr of rivets and bolts. the heads of the rivets and bolts beingflush with the inner faces of the members F to provide for clearance ofthe friction plates 7.

Two of the draft compression rods 20 are employed being preferablyconstructed of wrought iron and bent midway their ends at an angle ofabout 160 These rods pass through the oblong opening 4 in the centerblock 1 through the oblong openings 9 in the draft plates 7, openings inthe frame members F, and the openings 14 in the compression plates 11 ashereinbefore described. As above stated these rods 20 are provided attheir opposite ends with the draft springs 24 which are employed forcompressing and absorbing shocks and distributing the pull.

From the above description it will be obvious that in the mechanismherein shown and described and which is mounted beneath. the caradjacent and between the inner ends of the draw bars, so that on a pullthe draft plate 7 will compress the springs 24. The

compression of the springs 24 is controlled bv the length of the slotsor openings 15 in the plates, 11.

vThe draw bars D have their coupler head carrying ends supported inhangers 40 depending from the end members of the car frame. while theirinnerends have transverse apertures for passage of the draft keys 26 andare socketed to receive the coupler butt studs 2 on center block 1 beingconnected thereto by pins 35. As shown these hangers 40 are U-shaped andthe legs 41 thereof are mounted in a head block 42 being secured theretoby a pin 43. The blocks 42 each has ,apertured lugs 44 extendingrearwardly therefrom and passing through the car frame end members andsecured by headed pins 45.

The assembling of the apparatus on the underframing F of the car isobvious from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2. and it isA described asfollows:

The plates 11 are first bolted or riveted to the outer faces of the twomembers F with theI openings 14v and'15 in said plates registering Awithcorresponding openings (see Fip. 1) in said members F. The block throughthe openings 15'v in one plate 11, v

through the adjacent members F through openings 10 in plates, throughthe inner ends of the draw bars, then through the openings 10 in theother plate 7, througlh the other member F, openings 15 in t eotherfplate 1'1 and has mounted on said projecting ends the spacingplates 30 and are secured by cot-ter pins passed through the openings 32in plates 30 and those' 29 in the keys.

One of the rods 2O with one spring 24 thereon is then passed through oneof the apertures 14 in one of the outer fixed plates 11 through thecorresponding opening in the adjacent frame memberF, then through theopening 9 in the adjacent inner sliding plate 7, through the opening'4in block l,

then through the opening 9 in the other slidy ing plate 7 through frameF, through one of the openings 14 in the other outer fixed plate 11. Theother spring 24 is then placed on said rod 20 and the nut 22 applied, itbeing of course understood that the inner ends of the springs 24 arepositioned in the seats 2 on each end ofthe blofzk and there arev fourtwo-inch holes for draw pins 3 located at each corner of the block. Theblock has an oblong hole 4 which may be three by eleven inches reducedat the middle to three by' nine inches.

The corners of theob'long holel are made round to prevent shearing ofthe draft compressionrods 20 at the bend where they pass throughthecenter of the block, as shown at 6; Figs. 10 and 11.

As shown' in Fig. 3, there are two forged steel draft plates to tbetween the center block and steel' under frame of the car. Fourdraw-pin holes 8 are located two inches from the top and bottom of eachplate and thirteen and three-fourths inches apart. These plates, shownin Fig. 3, are lifted. up until the holes 8 match the holes in the drawsills and until the slots 10 in the showing the holes 1l in Fig. 5should match the cen- `tei-'block hole in the draft plate 7 of Fig. 3

and the center block hole 4 in Fig. l1.

The rods 2U are threaded four or five inches from the ends and eachthere has a slotted key way 23, as before described, to receive a Cotterpin to prevent the nuts from backingotf. After one rod 2() is appliedthen the other rod 20 is applied in the same manner, sufficientIclearance being provided for the purpose, see Fig. l.

After the rods 20 are applied the springs 24, washers 22a and nuts 22are applied to all four ends of the rods 20 and partially drawn up, tobe subsequently drawn up to a greater extent.

In practice the draft gear has a little more than three and seveneighths inches of spring Amotion (one and seven eighths inches eachway). v

To disassemble the device, the operation describedA is reversed. alifting jack being used to relieve the weight until the rods 20 arereleased.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a drawbar; of pull distributing means, and a connection between said means andbar whereby a pull on the bar will be. distributed throughout the car.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a drawbar; of pull distributing means connected therewith and comprising alongitudinally movable member` 'a connection between said member andbar, means compressible in a plane at rightangles to the movement ofsaid bar and operable through said member by a pull on said bar.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a drawbar; of pull distributing means connected therewith and comprising alongitudinally movable member. a connection between said member and bar,compression springs arranged on opposite sides of said member andcompressible in a plane at right angles to the movement of said bar andoperable through said member by a pull on said barmand means carried 'bysald member and connected to actuate said springs on the'exertion of apull on said bar.

4. In an apparatus .of the class described, the combination withlaterally spaced frame members, and a draw bar mounted to move betweenthem; of a' block mounted to move between said frame members, aconnection bet-Ween said block and bar, said block having an elongatedaperture extending transversely therethrough, compression plates locatedoutside and fixed to said frame members and each having an apertureregistering with the aperture in said block and an inclined spring seaton the outer face of each,

-.block, a rod extendin;

draft plates carried by said block between it and said frame members andmovable therewith and each having anaperture to register with those inthe block and compression plates, an acute angled rod extended throughthe registering apertures insaid plates and block and projecting atopposite ends beyond said compression plates, and coiled springs mountedon said projecting rod ends in the seats of the compression plateswhereby a pull on said draw bar will operate to compress said springsand distribute the pull.

5., In an apparatus of the class described,` the combination withlaterally spaced frame members and a draw bar mounted to .move betweenthem; of a block mounted to move between said frame members, said blockhaving an elongated a erture extending transversely therethrougli,compression plates located outside and fixed to said frame members andeach having an aperture registering with the aperture in said block andan inclined spring seat on the outer face of each, draft plates carriedby said block between it and said frame members and movable therewithand having an aperture to register .with those in the block andcompression plates, draft keys extending through said plates and drawbar, being movable in said compression plates and with said draftplates, an acute angled rod extended through the registering aperturesin said plates and block and projecting at opposite ends beyond saidcompression plates, and coiled springs mounted on said projecting rodends in the seats of the compression plates whereby a pull on said drawbar will operate to compress said springs and distribute the pull.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination withlaterally spaced frame members, and a draw bar mounted to move betweenthem; of a block mounted to move between said frame members, aconnection between said block and bar, said block having an elongatedaperture. extending transversely therethrough, the end walls of whichconverge toward the center of the block and rounded, compression anddraft plates car-- ried by said frame members, the former being fixedand the latter movable relatively thereto, said plates having aperturesregistering with each other and with that in the through said regiseringapertures, coile spr-ings onsaid rod ends, and abutments on said endsbetween which and said compression plates the coiled springs are.located.

7. .In an apparatus of the class described, the combination withlaterally spaced frame members, and draw, bars mounted to move betweenthem of a block mounted to move -between said yframe members, aconnection between said block and bars, said block hav'- ing anelongated aperture extending transversely therethrough. the end Walls ofwhich converge toward the center of the block and rounded. eompreion anddraft plates earried hy said frame members. the former being fixed and'the latter movable relatively thereto,` said plates haring aperturesregis-l tering with each other and with that n the block, acute angledrods extending through ythe registering apertures in said plates andblocks, and projecting at oppositeends bei 10 yond the compressionplates with nuts on the terminals thereof, and coiled springs on saidrod endsbetween said nuts and compression plates.

In testimony whereof, I ailx my signature 15 hereto.

HENRY J. SCHAEFER.

